


Taking Chances

by jarofhearts, tetila (AwakeMySoul)



Category: Football RPF
Genre: Alternate Universe, Fluff, Liverpool, M/M, Romance
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2013-07-03
Updated: 2013-08-15
Packaged: 2017-12-17 14:29:59
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 3
Words: 20,371
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/868626
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/jarofhearts/pseuds/jarofhearts, https://archiveofourown.org/users/AwakeMySoul/pseuds/tetila
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>“Daniel Agger, I play professional football.” - “Fernando Torres, I’m only here on holiday. Very nice to meet you.”<br/>It was supposed to be a nice few days, an extended weekend in the city he had learned to love from afar. But before he even really arrived, things already went wrong - until one fateful meeting in Liverpool's most famous street turned everything upside down.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> The idea for this story happened when we visited Liverpool for the first time, because we fell in love with the city and it simply inspired us to write. There are a few similarities in here to what actually happened to us during our holiday, but of course - sadly - not where would have counted most. ;)

_What do you say to taking chances, what do you say to jumping off the edge?  
Never knowing if there's solid ground below or hand to hold, or hell to pay - what do you say?_

* * *

The air was warm and just a bit thick as in most of the pubs in this world, the lights dimmed, the space limited and most of the tables filled. Above the constant mix of voices locked in conversation the music of the small band in the back of the pub played, not too loud not to be able to understand your own word anymore but loud enough to carry the air of a very small concert. And of course the set list contained more than just one Beatles song.

Fernando didn’t know the name of the pub his feet had carried him to, just that it was located in the famous Mathew Street and that it wasn’t the Cavern Club that had been too loud, too crowded for him when he had taken a look inside. The atmosphere truly was fantastic, friendly, relaxed, jolly, and should have been perfect for the first night of his getaway in Liverpool. And it wasn’t like turning a corner and walking down into the heart of Liverpool’s music scene, warmly lit by chains of lights across the alley overhead and illuminated names of pubs and clubs, passing brass John Lennon and the Wall of Fame, didn’t put a smile on Fernando’s face. But the circumstances, he thought drily while watching the lights reflect on the surface of the liquid in his glass and listening to the band and guests sing ‘When I’m sixty-four’ together, could have been much, much nicer.

The Spaniard wasn’t quite sure how long he was already sitting here, and even though it was still early he pondered going back to his hotel with a sigh and a sip of beer. As fate would have it, though, in that moment a body moved to the empty space in the bar next to him and asked for a Corona, and the waiter smiled widely. “Comin’ right up, lad.”

Fernando glanced at the man next to him only briefly out of the corner of his eye, but when he did his body froze without leaving him the possibility to do anything about it.

Agger. Daniel Agger, sitting right here beside him, just like that, like he wasn’t Liverpool’s star centreback in a pub in fucking Mathew Street.

Fernando quickly averted his eyes, nervously started to fiddle with the label of his beer bottle, and when nobody in the pub seemed to react to the football player sitting among them Fernando carefully squinted at the man beside him.

No, there was no way he could be mistaken. Of course there was always a difference between seeing someone on pictures or TV and seeing them in real life, they turned out taller or smaller or more attractive or less so or more striking or plainer than you would have pictured them, but Fernando would bet his right hand that this man wasn’t simply a look-alike.

It was when the man beside him turned his head and caught his gaze that Fernando realised that he was staring. Instantly his face was heating up almost unbearably and he turned his head back to stare at the top of the bar in front of him, wanting to die a little right then.

“I-I’m sorry, I didn’t mean to…” he tried to get out, having just a little trouble with wrapping his mind around the English language. 

But the footballer didn’t appear to be irritated by his dilettantish attempt to be subtle as a small smile flickered over his lips. Probably laughing at his English, Fernando thought.

“First time in Liverpool?”

Instinctively Fernando nodded, too surprised that the Dane was actually talking to him instead of shrugging him off and going about his business to be able to form an intellectually valuable answer.

“Since a few hours.”

“You’ll like it here. The people are some of the nicest I ever met. No need to be afraid to ask someone when you’re lost or something,” Agger replied, and Fernando could hear the slight foreign accent in his English, the voice deeper in reality than he had originally thought. And even though he still felt a little intimidated, the fact that the footballer was talking so easily to him finally gave him enough courage to relax a little – despite the fact that his heart was still beating wildly in his chest.

“Yes, I think I experienced that already,” Fernando answered, his words and the pronunciation still sounding clunky enough in his own ears that he cringed inwardly but tried not to show it.

The man nodded at him before casually taking another sip of his Corona and Fernando thought this was already the end of their conversation, but to his surprise the defender didn’t turn away. “So how do you like it so far?” he asked instead.

“I…” Fernando started instinctively, then caught himself and let out a soft sound that resembled a small laugh. “What I’ve seen of the city is great. And the people are as well, as you said, they really helped me when my suitcase got lost somewhere in Amsterdam.”

Even while he said it Fernando wondered why he told the other about this at all – it really wasn’t what Premier League football players were interested in to hear from a total stranger, right? God help him, what was he doing?

“Amsterdam is known for doing stuff like that,” the defender answered him with an encouraging smile. “But they always find them again, don’t worry.”

“That’s what the lady at the desk said,” Fernando shrugged, starting to play with the label of his bottle again. “That the chaos in Amsterdam is the only reason they have their jobs. And that they’re going to send my suitcase to my hotel as soon as they can – which will be tomorrow. And that meant I already had to go shopping.” He sighed, and the renewed irritation about this whole ordeal completely made him forget who he was talking to for a moment.

“I see you found Liverpool One,” Agger said and pointed at the small heap of shopping bags at Fernando’s feet. “The first time I was looking for it I didn’t realise I was already standing in it for at least half an hour.”

A laugh came over Fernando’s lips. “That happened to me too. I was so confused until I walked past the…” He faltered for a moment, realisation coming back, and felt his heart flutter a little in his chest. “The LFC store. And realised that it was a district and not one building.”

“So you watch football.” The other man must have noticed the hesitancy in his voice because the question was more a statement as anything else.

“I recognised you, didn’t I.” It was more of a statement and less of a question too, and as Fernando glanced towards the footballer sitting next to him, he dared to offer a smile.

The smile on his face only got bigger when he received an answering one in return. “I noticed,” the man chuckled and held out his hand towards him so Fernando could see his tattoos peeking out from underneath the sleeve of his t-shirt. “Daniel Agger, I play professional football.”

Instinctively Fernando reached out and took the offered hand, warm and dry, and ignored the flip-flops his heart seemed to be doing. “Fernando Torres, I’m only here on holiday. Very nice to meet you.”

“Likewise,” he got in return. Maybe the moment was slightly too long for a simple handshake between mere strangers but Fernando didn’t care, and maybe it was just wishful thinking on his part that had to do with the fact that he’d had the tiniest of crushes on Daniel Agger since he had become of fan of Liverpool Football Club a few years ago.

Maybe he was dreaming.

“So how long is this holiday supposed be?” startled Fernando out of his inner monologue and when his eyes focused back onto Daniel in front of him, he thought he could see a slightly amused twinkle in the defender’s eyes and he couldn’t help smiling back.

“I’m flying back on Sunday around midday. It’s just a short getaway over the extended weekend, my friend couldn’t get more days off unfortunately. Not… that it really matters now,” he spoke on, attentively watching Daniel for signs that he would get bored with what Fernando told. “He caught a nasty case of… I… don’t know the word…” he trailed off a little flustered, gesturing vaguely towards his tonsils. “But he had to stay home.”

“I don’t know many people who would travel alone,” Daniel commented. “You already know what you want to visit here?”

“Well, more or less. Albert Dock of course and the Pier Head. The World Museum, Beatles Museum, the cathedrals maybe… Liverpool One again when I’m not in a rush and… well, Anfield,” Fernando answered with an almost sheepish shrug. “And my friend forbade me to stay home.”

Daniel laughed, “Don’t worry. You booked the tour?”

The blond nodded. “For Saturday. You guys have a match on Sunday, right?”

_This is surreal. Totally surreal._

“Yeah, United. They won’t stand a chance,” Daniel answered jokingly while he called the bartender down for another beer. “You’ll like the ground, it feels domestic, almost cosy.”

Fernando felt a grin curling around his lips. “I’m used to fifty-five thousand in el Vincente Calderón, so you might just be right.”

Dan paid the bartender and took a long gulp from the bottle before turning his attention back to Fernando. “So I was right when I thought you were a Spaniard. Madrid?”

“Yes,” the blond answered, looking at Daniel in surprise. He didn’t really look like a typical Spaniard after all. “How did you know?”

“I have and had some Spanish team mates, I know the accent by now,” Daniel answered. “Although I wasn’t sure because of your pale complexion and the freckles.”

Almost unconsciously Fernando raised one hand and rubbed the back of his neck, praying that he didn’t blush. He desperately searched for something to say, afraid that if he didn’t open his mouth the conversation, the whole meeting would come to an end and he’d forever be mad at himself. But before he could come up with anything at a brief break in the music was over, the band in the back of the pub started playing ‘In my life’ and Daniel said, “You’re an Atlético fan, huh? So how did Liverpool attract your attention?”

The sigh that came over Fernando’s lips then was one of relief and he took the opportunity and started to talk, and it became easier and easier when Daniel asked interposed questions and laughed at the right places. Slowly he relaxed and lost his timidity in the face of this unexpected, mind-blowing encounter since it didn’t seem like Daniel would wander off again anytime soon, and their topics moved from football to tattoos to music to movies to books and to football and then music again until the band was done and the first people were already starting to head home.

“And at the end of August there is the Mathew Street Music Festival. The whole town is there because it’s free and the music is great. I always love the atmosphere, it’s a lot of fun. I bet you’d like that.”

They had moved to one of the small tables in a corner of the pub during the evening, sharing all sorts of anecdotes about their life, and Fernando had found that Daniel was an absolutely pleasant conversational partner. Easy to talk to, an attentive listener, never letting any awkward silences arise or give the Spaniard any reason to feel self-conscious about his not perfect English. And he had made it so easy for Fernando to forget that his heart had actually been racing.

“It sounds like it,” he nodded and leaned back in his chair to stretch his back after the hours of sitting. “So you’ve been there?”

Fernando thought he saw Daniel’s eyes follow his movements before he answered his question. “Yeah I have. The nice thing about the people here in Liverpool is that most accept your privacy so it’s easy for me to go to events like that.”

The Spaniard nodded, vaguely remembering how Daniel Agger was one of the Liverpool football players that didn’t have wife and children. Maybe that was the reason he got out from time to time to the events or pubs, or maybe he also simply liked to be in contact with people outside of the glamorous football world.

“Seems like it is a very good place to be for a footballer. I know that it’s much harder for the players in Spain. I think simply going out like you do would be impossible for them.”

He watched how a small smile formed on the footballer’s lips. “It’s just one of the reasons I love it here.”

“Mmh, I bet,” Fernando smiled back and would probably have said more but had to raise his hand in that moment to cover a yawn that he almost desperately tried to hide. Of course he was tired, he’d been on his feet all day, but he didn’t _want_ to leave. This was a once in a lifetime thing, chances were he’d never have the chance of talking to a professional footballer again, and he wanted to savour this as long as possible. Especially since… well…

Furtively Fernando glanced to the side, his gaze flying over the long legs clad in dark jeans, the black t-shirt and bare arms sporting tattoos, and he felt his throat getting dry and quickly looked away again.

“Getting tired?”

Daniel’s words jerked Fernando out of his ill-timed thoughts and he tried to recover as quickly as possible.

“Ah, no, it’s okay,” he tried to play down his incipient fatigue, watched how the corners of Daniel’s mouth twitched, figured he was probably pretty easy to see through and sighed. “Do you have training tomorrow?”

“Yeah, 10 o’clock,” the Dane answered, leaning forward a bit and just looked at him for a moment as if he was judging Fernando. The Spaniard just didn’t know for what, and so the unwavering gaze, though not unkind, made his face heat up inevitably. He forbade himself to look away though, trying to guess what Daniel tried to see. He came up empty-handed.

Fernando didn’t know what it was but suddenly Daniel seemed less calm and collected than he had earlier that evening, almost nervous. He watched him lean back, breaking the eye contact between them and take his bottom lip between his teeth, a habit Fernando had often seen in interviews and pictures. “Do you want to…” he trailed of, clearing his throat, “I mean would you like to…”

Fernando’s heart suddenly seemed to plummet to the deepest sockets of his stomach. He wouldn’t… he didn’t… did he? _No. No no no_ , he chanted in his head, desperately trying to get that thought out of his mind and to more innocent things. But whatever it was, whatever Daniel was talking about, even if he didn’t know _what_ it was, Fernando wanted to. So when Daniel suddenly sighed, shook his head and muttered, “Forget it…” Fernando had already blurted out, “Yes.”

Daniel looked a bit surprised like he hadn’t expected him to understand or answer or both. “Yes?”

Fernando bit the inside of his lower lip to keep himself from saying or doing something embarrassing and from getting his hopes up. Maybe they really weren’t thinking the same thing after all, that would be… too much of a coincidence, would it? But… what if not?

Fernando’s heart faltered at the mere thought. He rubbed his clammy hands on his legs and lowered his head. It wasn’t as if he had anything to lose… right?

“I’m… I swear I won’t tell anyone,” he finally mumbled, afraid of looking at Daniel in case he had misunderstood this whole thing after all.

There was an awkward pause, a rustling of cloth and then all of Fernando’s senses focused on the deep voice and the warm breath beside his ear. “Then would you like to come home with me?”

Just like that his knees had gone weak and his heart was fluttering like the wings of a bird in flight, sending a warm shiver through his whole body. And part of himself wanted to laugh when he realised that he had just been seduced by one single sentence.

What he did though was swallow down his excitement and anxiety and disbelief and answer with a single, soft word.

“Yes.”

***

The car ride was one of the most surreal of Fernando’s life. For the whole time that night where they had talked so easily it seemed like all the words had left them now, and the Spaniard had no idea what to say anyway. He was still too busy trying to convince himself that this was really, actually happening while he watched the houses pass by behind the window and cling to the bag with his new clothes on his lap. Calm as he might have looked on the outside, inside he was near bursting.

Eventually they drove down a road with a park on the left before the car slowed, Daniel reached for a small remote control and opened a wooden gate that gave way to a beautiful red-bricked house with a dark roof, barely visible in the dark, surrounded by a low stone wall and bushes. The footballer stopped the car right in front of his garage while the gate slowly slid close again behind them.

Fernando breathed out slowly.

They sat there in silence for a moment before Daniel finally, finally took his keys and said, “Come on.”

The cool night air felt heavenly against Fernando’s heated face and he took a few deep breaths until they had reached the door, Daniel unlocked it and held it open for him.

Of course he had expected a modern, expensive looking home befitting a footballer earning one hell of a lot of money, and he wasn’t really disappointed even though, when light flooded the hall and he caught a glimpse of the living room, it wasn’t as extraordinary as it probably might have been.

“You have a beautiful house,” Fernando remarked softly, dying to ask if he really lived here all alone. But when Fernando turned back to Daniel, the Dane didn’t answer, just smiled at him, his expression open and friendly as he took one, two steps forward and suddenly stood right there in Fernando’s personal space, his breath mixing with Fernando’s own.

“Is this okay?” Daniel asked, waiting, his eyes flickering down to Fernando’s lips before they finally shifted back up to catch his gaze.

Fernando wasn’t sure if he could trust his voice right now so he thought about nodding, because this was more than okay, but then felt a little ridiculous about himself. And Daniel already opened his mouth again because, as Fernando realised, the pause was getting too long, so he simply tilted his head up and touched Daniel’s lips with his own.

At first nothing happened and Fernando wasn’t sure if he had done anything wrong, or if he had somehow managed to misunderstand Daniel’s question, but then the lips under his own moved, softly, almost carefully as if they were exploring unknown territory. A hand touched his face, drawing him nearer to Daniel as the man deepened the kiss and sent a warm shudder down Fernando’s spine as he yet again realised who exactly he was kissing here. And his hand shot up to grip Daniel’s shoulder, he breathed in deeply without breaking the kiss to take this in with as many senses as possible. And damn it, he liked how Daniel kissed, gentle, almost polite, but with something that felt like barely restrained hunger brimming right underneath the surface. And it made Fernando’s toes want to curl.

He very nearly whimpered in protest when Daniel broke the kiss, but then leaned back in again for a last lingering touch of their lips as if he didn’t want to stop either just now. And when Fernando finally opened his eyes again Daniel was still smiling, only now there was a light blush visible on his cheeks that told Fernando that the footballer was just as affected by the whole situation. Maybe this wasn’t something the Dane did often, and the thought was strangely alluring.

“I know this sounds a bit stupid, but how about we continue this upstairs?” Daniel eventually said and Fernando grinned back at him.

“Lead the way then,” he answered, noticing how his own voice sounded a little rough and not really surprised by it. This whole scenario, the man standing in front of him, was doing ridiculous things to him. And by God, he couldn’t wait to lay those tattoos bare and see him naked.

Daniel didn’t make him wait any longer. He took Fernando’s hand and led him to the stairs, the insistent pull on his arm speaking of an impatience similar to Fernando’s own as they made their way towards the room at the far end of the hallway.

The Spaniard didn’t have enough time to really take in his surroundings because the moment the door closed behind them Daniel closed the distance between them for a kiss more urgent than the first one they had shared downstairs.

For a brief moment Fernando wondered again how often Daniel did this, how often he had the chance or took the risk of involuntarily being outed if he ever misjudged someone. Probably not too often said the unbridled hunger that lay in the way he buried his fingers in Fernando’s hair and wrapped his arm around Fernando’s waist to press their bodies together. And the Spaniard answered him more than willingly, met his kiss with similar impatience and began to tug on his shirt even while he unabashedly enjoyed the way their bodies moulded together.

It didn’t take long and Daniel had pulled both their shirts over their heads and thrown them carelessly onto the floor. And to Fernando it felt like he somehow managed it without breaking the contact of their lips because the heat of Daniel’s tongue dancing with his own was almost too much and it sent delicious little shivers down his skin which soon enough the other man followed with small lips and nicks. There would be marks tomorrow, of that Fernando was sure, and the thought of having reminders of this made him moan softly. He hesitated for a moment but then raised on hand and gently wrapped his fingers into Daniel’s hair, trying to keep his breathing even. Which was absolutely not easy with the footballer having sunk to his knees in front of him and kissing his stomach.

Dear God, no one would ever believe this even if he would ever try to tell anyone.

Nimble fingers opened his belt buckle and his jeans before pausing, and when Fernando opened his eyes again to look down at Daniel he wished he hadn’t. Their eyes met and Daniel didn’t break their eye contact when he placed soft, open mouthed kisses on his stomach, following the space where his skin met the waistband of his boxers and Fernando’s heart was doing somersaults again.

“Shit,” he heard himself whisper and quickly bit his lower lip, at least managing to keep his next sound down to a soft “Nngh…” when warm fingertips skimmed over the skin right above the edge of his boxers.

Fernando thought he saw the other man smirk before he finally pulled both boxers and jeans down his hips, exposing him to the warm air of the room. He almost didn’t notice when he was given a soft push that made him stumble backwards and down onto the bed behind him. Quick hands pulled off his shoes and jeans along with his boxers and then there was hotness, wet, overwhelming hotness around him, making him squirm and moan while he tried not to buck up into the mouth surrounding him.

Fernando threw his arm over his eyes and for a moment tried to lock a moan in his throat. But then the wet heat around him vanished and Daniel said, voice raw, “Don’t try to be quiet,” before closing his lips around his head again, and Fernando gratefully pressed his head back against the sheets and listened to his own broken moan.

It didn’t take a lot of that tongue licking, those lips teasing, those teeth nibbling or those fingers massaging until Fernando felt like a pretty undignified whimpering mess, quicker, much quicker than he was used to. And he wasn’t sure if it was because the situation just turned him on that much or because Daniel was simply that good.

The sound leaving Fernando’s throat when Daniel’s mouth shifted his attention to the muscles of his abdomen could only be described as one of protest, but it didn’t stop Daniel from slowly moving his body over the Spaniard’s and waiting there until Fernando opened his eyes again.

“Sorry. I just want to see you when you come.”

“Oh,” Fernando answered, waiting for his mind to catch up with him. While he did he let his gaze wander over those freckled features only about the width of a hand from his face that he had only ever seen on pictures or a TV screen. And the thought curiously flushed his remaining timidity down the drain to be replaced with a small smirk. “Okay.”

And he grabbed Daniel’s shoulders, angled his knees against his hips and rolled the footballer onto his back. “So,” he started and reached for Daniel’s feet to quickly undo his sneakers before attending to the buttons of his jeans and locking their gazes again. “How exactly do you want this?”

“Just like this,” the Dane answered breathlessly as he let his hands wander over Fernando’s thighs and his hip, tracing the bones with his thumbs. “If that’s okay with you,” he then asked a bit unsurely, and to Fernando it seemed so endearing that he had to smile even when Daniel’s touch sent tendrils of tingling arousal over his skin.

“I’d be completely happy either way,” he admitted and tugged on Daniel’s jeans until he obediently raised his hips.

The jeans joined Fernando’s own somewhere on the floor and Daniel used the moment to roll over and open the drawer of the nightstand for lube and condoms, and Fernando followed his movements with his eyes to see which of the two the footballer would give him.

But the way Daniel threw the condoms to Fernando’s side and opened the tube of lube answered his question. “Lie back,” he said as he slicked two of his fingers, the gesture alone making Fernando’s whole body flush with heat.

The bed was big enough that he could do as Daniel had asked and lay back between the Dane’s long legs, waiting until he had sat up before angling his knees with arguably more self-confidence than he felt right then.

There was the touch of a hand at his ankle that lightly wandered up to his knee and then down his thigh where it lingered for a moment before it moved to his stomach, deliberately ignoring Fernando’s pulsing arousal. The touch was so distracting Fernando almost didn’t react when Daniel slid first one and then two of his fingers into him, slowly and carefully stretching.

And he found, a little to his own surprise, that he was relaxed from that very first moment on, his body accepting and yielding to the touch without any difficulty. But to watch Daniel’s face while he felt his fingers inside of him made his heart race, and to hear his quickened breath emboldened him enough to stretch his body luxuriously and raise his hips to meet Daniel’s fingers. A perfect twist found Fernando’s weakness, sending sparks of tingling pleasure up and down his body and his deep moan was being stifled when the defender pressed his mouth against his before he finally withdrew his fingers and somehow managed to roll them over.

“Your turn,” Daniel whispered, his breath brushing Fernando’s skin hot and humid.

For a moment the Spaniard allowed himself to enjoy lying on the warm, muscled body beneath his, and after a second of studying those green-brown eyes he bent his head down for a kiss. And even while the caress was returned his hand fumbled for the condom that lay somewhere to their right, ripping the package open, discarding it and rolling the thin latex over Daniel’s erection, completely unwilling to break the now heated, almost teasing kiss they were locked in.

The grip on Fernando’s hips tightened, leaving small half moon formed marks on his skin as a soft moan escaped the man under him for the first time that evening.

“Please,” Daniel breathed when their kiss finally wore off, the word sounding broken and stretched to Fernando’s ears, but the urgent little grinds of Daniel’s hip were enough to tell the Spaniard all he needed to know. It was an intoxicating feeling.

So Fernando decided not to make him wait any longer, detached his lips from Daniel’s throat and sat up, knees left and right of the other man’s hips. His erection was hot and hard as it could get in Fernando’s palm as he held it in place, adjusted his position above it and then let himself sink onto it. His whole body shuddered as he listened to the low and drawn-out groan of the footballer underneath him and gave himself a moment to get re-acquaintaned with the feeling of being stretched open like this, eyes open and fixed on Daniel’s face.

“Fuck,” slipped from the Dane’s lips as if he hadn’t expected Fernando’s move, both his hands ran up and down Fernando’s thighs like he needed something to hold on to, to calm him down, something that stopped him from mindlessly pushing up into the heat surrounding him. It made Fernando grin almost giddily. He reached back, placed his hands on Daniel’s thighs and then moved his hips, slowly up and down at first, rolling them in Daniel’s lap, experimenting with speed and angle and how and when to tense his muscles. And it didn’t take long until he had found what he – and obviously Daniel too – liked best.

And like that he moved and shuddered every time his downward thrust made the head of Daniel’s cock nudge his spot. He buried his fingertips in those muscled thighs and fought the groans that permanently threatened to spill over his lips, and even though the tension in his body rose to almost unbearable measures, the strain in his thighs did as well until they were burning. And just when he thought he couldn’t go on and opened his mouth to say something, Daniel grabbed his arm and pulled him down into a kiss before he rearranged his feet and rolled them over.

The new sudden angle made Fernando moan into the footballer’s mouth and impatiently meet his thrusts as soon as he resumed them, his whole body shuddering under Daniel’s, relieved and now able to relax, to let himself fall and simply open up to that man between his thighs and every pleasure he had to give him.

And it didn’t take long until Fernando felt his toes curl, soft bright lights appeared before his tightly closed lids and a hoarse cry came over his lips. Even with his eyes closed Fernando knew that Daniel’s gaze didn’t leave his face, felt it in the way his skin was tingling, and this together with the mind numbing pleasure running through his body sent him tumbling over the edge fast and hard.

The next thing he felt were the almost too controlled thrusts of Daniel’s hips fucking him through the last spasms of his climax, the sensations flickering down over his sensitive nerve ends and he hid his head in the man’s neck above him, mewling softly against the sweaty skin there.

“Do you want me to stop?” was whispered into his ear, the voice breathless but soft and Fernando knew that if he would say yes, Daniel wouldn’t hesitate to do exactly that.

“No… no,” Fernando answered without thinking, shaking his head even while he gasped for breath. His own muscles were still trembling from his mind-numbing orgasm, such a wonderful feeling he hadn’t experienced for far too long now. So when Daniel breathed out, stole a kiss from him and then resumed his urgent thrusts in chase of his own release Fernando wrapped his arms and legs around him, the corners of his mouth curling in a lazy smile.

There was a mumbled sound from the Dane’s lips that might have been a thank you, but Fernando couldn’t be sure because suddenly there was a hand in his hair and lips and tongue everywhere as the thrusts got more and more erratic and uncontrolled. Soft needy sounds were escaping Daniel’s lips, steadily growing louder and with one last, hard thrust Fernando felt the other man shudder and come.

A relieved sigh came over the footballer’s lips and as if all energy had suddenly left his body he tumbled down onto Fernando’s, still shivering and trembling from his climax.

Fernando closed his eyes and let his still tingling body relax, still cradling the exhausted footballer in his arms. His fingers had found the back of Daniel’s neck and slowly played with the sweaty hair there that had curled adorably, as Fernando thought. And he simply enjoyed the moment, knowing it wasn’t going to last very long.

A moment later Daniel drew his head back to look at Fernando, a small smile visible as he brought a hand up to brush some strands of hair out of his eyes.

“Hey.”

“Hey,” Fernando returned softly and suddenly his bashfulness was back. He didn’t know where to look and shivered a little at the awareness of Daniel’s flagging erection keeping him open.

“Hey,” Daniel answered again before laughing lightly as he pressed a quick kiss first on the corner of Fernando’s mouth and then a lingering one onto his lips, and the longer it lasted the more he relaxed again and reminded himself to simply enjoy this aftertaste. When the kiss eventually wore off, his own lips felt warm and dry and just a little bruised and he smiled.

Daniel returned his smile with one of his own and lightly traced his lips with his thumb before he broke the eye contact and rolled to his side. The motion made him slip out of Fernando and both sighed at the sensation and lay still for a moment before Daniel broke the quiet.

“Do you want to take a shower, or eat something? Or maybe something to drink?”

Fernando had to bite his lower lip to keep the soft laugh in check that wanted over his lips at the questions. They warmed his heart in an unexpected way.

“No… no, thank you, I’m good. Just… maybe something to wash this off?” he asked and gestured towards his stomach.

“Right, of course.” Daniel looked a bit sheepish as he stumbled off the bed and walked towards the door adjoining his bedroom. “Will be right back. Don’t move.”

“Okay,” Fernando answered with a smile, let his head fall back into the pillow as soon as Daniel had vanished through the door and stretched his body, fully enjoying the feeling of his joints rearranging themselves, his muscles relaxing. Then he turned his head into the pillow and slowly, carefully drew in the faint scent that clung to them. Somehow he found that he liked it.

The bed dipping and a wet cloth brushing the skin of his stomach jolted his attention back to the owner of the scent that lay all around him and Fernando felt a light blush rise to his cheeks when the towel gently slid down and between his legs. “There, all clean,” Daniel finally said, leaning down slightly to place a short kiss on his stomach before catching his gaze again.

It made his heart jump funnily for a moment. Fernando hadn’t really expected that much care from the footballer after they were done so this definitely was a surprise that again made him like Daniel a little more.

Maybe he should get out of here before he’d be disappointed.

“Thanks,” Fernando said softly and broke their gaze, slowly starting to sit up. “It’s getting pretty late… I don’t want to be responsible for you being tired for training tomorrow.”

“Right. Well… just… let me drive you to your hotel?” Daniel asked, and Fernando thought there was a hesitancy colouring his voice that hadn’t been there before. But there was really nothing to ponder for Fernando since he was neither exactly sure where they were nor how to get to his hotel at all. So he nodded and gave Daniel a smile that he hoped was warm and grateful and uncomplicated at once.

“Good, now we just have to find our clothes,” Daniel said, sending Fernando a reassuring smile in return. “I think I saw your boxers somewhere under my jeans,” he continued as he sat on the edge of the bed and bent forward to fish them out from under his jeans, giving them to Fernando who took them with some curious mix of feeling amused and flattered.

“You’re quite the gentleman,” he remarked while slipping into his boxers and then picking up his jeans from the other side of the bed.

“I try,” Daniel chuckled while he slipped into his jeans, ignoring his underwear lying at his feet. He walked over to where Fernando was sitting to get his shirt and quickly pulled it over his head.

“Not bad so far,” the Spaniard returned with a slightly teasing grin and, as soon as he was fully clothed, got to his feet, coming to stand right in front of Daniel. Before he could stop himself he had raised one hand and gently tugged on the edge of Daniel’s sleeve. “I like your tattoos.”

Daniel shrugged. “They’re just tattoos,” he answered. “Not different than the one on your wrist.”

“They are,” Fernando disagreed though. “You look like… a moving piece of art,” he finished his thought after a moment of contemplation.

“Well –” the Dane began, just looking at Fernando for a moment before a small grin appeared on his face. “Thank you.”

“You’re welcome,” the Spaniard smiled, smoothed the sleeve of Daniel’s shirt over his upper arm with the palm of his hand and then turned away. One quick look through the room reassured him that there was nothing he had forgotten and so he looked over at Daniel again, waiting for him to accompany him downstairs, but immediately had to stifle a laugh when he saw how Daniel hastily averted his eyes of which he was sure had been fixed somewhere on his behind.

“Right, come one, you must be tired,” Daniel said, ignoring the fact that he had clearly been caught ogling Fernando’s ass, and the Spaniard turned away towards the door to hide the grin that inevitably spread on his lips. He wouldn’t be human if that didn’t flatter his ego at least a little.

He followed Daniel down the stairs in silence, now in turn taking his chance of extensively letting his eyes roam over the footballer’s strong back and shoulders, remembering them under his hands and how the muscles had moved under the skin.

Fernando had to shake himself out of his memories when they reached the hall and he collected his bags. They still didn’t speak when they walked back out into the cooling night air to Daniel’s car, and only when they sat inside they suddenly seemed to remember at the same time that Daniel didn’t even know where to drive.

“What’s the addr-”

“It’s in West D-”

They started and stopped and broke into a grin at the same time.

“It’s in West Derby on Queen’s Drive, corner Mill Bank. Premier Inn.”

Daniel started the car and slowly pulled out of the driveway. “You know Melwood is only ten minutes down the street from there?”

“Hm… I’ve heard about it,” Fernando mumbled as an answer, not quite wanting to admit that, even though it had been pure chance that he had chosen this hotel, he had indeed looked up how far away Melwood was. He had planned on having a look at it after all…

Daniel stopped the car at a red light and looked over to Fernando. “You could come and watch training tomorrow. There are always a few fans watching.”

Honestly surprised Fernando looked over at Daniel and instinctively returned his gaze. There went his worry that the footballer would think of him as some kind of stalker if he actually did turn up.

He collected himself again quickly though and tried not to let his smile get too wide.

“I’ll see if I can make it.”

A honk from the back made them both flinch and he heard Daniel curse in a language that was probably Danish before he continued to drive down the street. “You can’t really miss it. Just follow the road till you see a big wall. That’s Melwood.”

“Okay,” Fernando laughed, wondering if he was misjudging this or if Daniel really tried to get him to come. He didn’t quite know what more to say though, so he let his head sink back against the headrest of his seat and watched the lights outside pass by.

It took only a few minutes until he saw the hotel appear on the other side of the wide road, but instead of letting him jump off right across from the street Daniel drove a bit further until he had the chance for a U-turn, and eventually drove onto the parking space.

Neither of them moved when Daniel turned the engine off and the silence in the car began to feel awkward, stretched and tangible. But Fernando didn’t know what to say. There was a chance he’d never see Daniel again, and suddenly the surrealism of the whole night was back. And he didn’t know if he wanted to kiss him or if that would just be awkward, and the silence was getting longer, so eventually Fernando pushed himself into action, muttered, “Thank you for driving me,” pushed the door open and got out. Only then did he look back inside into Daniel’s face. “Good night.”

“Good night,” Daniel returned softly, and there was an expression in his eyes that could have been regret or simple disappointment but Fernando couldn’t be sure. So he did his best to leave this with a smile, one that held all the sympathy and even affection the Dane had evoked in him that night. Then he turned and walked away towards the entrance of the hotel, drawing in a cool breath deep into his lungs. When he reached the door the engine of the car purred to life and he looked back over his shoulder.

Their gazes met again through the windshield of the car and he saw Daniel smile and lift his hand a bit in farewell. Fernando smiled back at him again, then pushed the door open and walked inside.

A few minutes later he had brushed his teeth, stripped down to his boxers and crawled into bed. He hadn’t taken a shower after all, somehow unwilling to wash the encounter off his skin just yet.

Despite the exhausting day he’d had Fernando lay awake for almost an hour. When he fell asleep he dreamed of playing for Liverpool Football Club, together with Daniel.


	2. Chapter 2

_Where are we going? Have we gone too far?_  
 _I hope I see you around the way I always do you, it's always a surprise to be with you._

* * *

The morning was already warm and sunny when Dan and the rest of the team left the indoor training grounds, ready for the last few training units. The early summer air hung heavily over Melwood’s training pitches despite the feeble breeze that blew and while Dan laughed at something Dirk had said beside him he tried to survey his surroundings.

He let his eyes wander to the wall by his right where he could already see some fans waiting. Even from this distance he could see that none of the heads lurking over the wall there belonged to Fernando, that blond he would have recognised anywhere.

Surely that feeling in his stomach wasn’t disappointment though? After all it had been a one off thing, they both had known that, and Dan didn’t even really know him except for the long talk the evening before… but maybe… maybe Dan still had hoped to see him again. Especially after their brief talk about training just before they had said goodbye. Maybe though he had just completely misjudged him and Fernando wasn’t even interested in another encounter. Judging by the way he had almost fled from the car the night before.

Dan sighed and willed himself to concentrate on their training exercises, on the way his body responded to the well-known exertion and the familiar low burn that started to creep into his muscles. And he managed not to look over to the wall that often up until that one time he took a casual glance, his hope all but having died, when there was a blond head up there that hadn’t been there earlier, propped onto his arms, watching.

The sight distracted him so much that he stumbled into Pepe running for a ball in front of him.

“Fuck, sorry man,” he told the goalkeeper, tying to ignore the fact that his heart made funny little flip-flops.

Pepe waved him away good naturally. “You alright, lad?”

“Just lost my balance,” Daniel answered and ran back into position, but not before sneaking another glance at the boy watching over the wall. For a brief moment he thought their eyes met and Daniel smiled at him, carefully, trying not to be blatantly obvious about it. And he didn’t dare look long enough to find out if his smile was returned, but his heart was fluttery and his steps light at the thought that Fernando had actually come after all. And when he eventually looked over again he thought to see that, still with his head propped up on his folded arms on the top of the wall, there was a soft smile on the Spaniard’s lips as he watched.

After that, training flew by. Dan had fun despite being aware much more than usual that he was watched, and when they formed two small teams for a training match he managed a few tackles that surprised even himself. He tried not to look over too often, sometimes wondering what exactly the reason was for his delight about seeing Fernando here. After flying back to Spain he wouldn’t exactly see him again, he knew that – so what was going on?

It was only when training was over and his team mates started to walk back to the entrance of the building that he hesitated, unsure if this would already be the last time they saw each other. So he turned just one last time before walking back to the entrance and his heart tumbled to his boots when the familiar face wasn’t among the people watching over the wall anymore. He hadn’t felt such a crunching feeling of disappointment for a long time and at the same time he chided himself for being so ridiculous about the whole situation. It wasn’t like he could actually date Fernando for real or anything. Fuck, they didn’t even live in the same country.

_My God, get a grip on yourself._

It was still with a sigh of disappointment though that he finally turned and followed his team mates. He just couldn’t help it, maybe it had simply been far too long ago that he had actually felt the urge to get to know someone better. In that special sense. Now he did because Fernando was gorgeous and easy to talk to and interesting and nice and funny and sexy – and it was all but impossible.

 _Well done, Agger_ , he sarcastically thought to himself while he trudged off after his team.

Back in the dressing room he took a quick shower and did his best to not let his insecurities and gloomy thoughts show, laughed at all the right places and even threw in a few comments of his own here and there before he waved his team mates goodbye.

When he started his car he could already see a few people waiting beyond the gates of Melwood in hopes of catching a photo or an autograph. It weren’t many since it was a weekday, only two children, so their rules to drive past them without stopping weren’t as strict today. And even though he wasn’t that much in the mood Dan did stop his car at the entrance for a moment, smiling back at the fans for their pictures and signing one or two things they asked him to. And afterwards he was stunned because he hadn’t seen him, but when he looked up again from an autograph he had just written, it was Fernando standing next to his window now, giving him a small smile, holding a pen and a Liverpool postcard out to him.

“Hey.”

Dan knew he was staring dumbly at him for a moment before he felt a wide smile break out on his face. “Hey,” he returned, blushing a bit because he remembered the last time they had shared those greetings.

“I… um…” Fernando started, then gestured towards the card Dan had instinctively taken from him, and to Dan it looked as if the freckles on his cheeks seemed to be surrounded by a soft red hue. “Could you…?”

“Oh yeah, of course,” Dan mumbled before looking down at the card he was holding, a simple Liverpool by night skyline scene. In the end he didn’t really plan it but let his instincts take over and in retrospect it might have been a little reckless, but right now he knew he wasn’t ready to let that one go. So he turned the card and simply wrote what he wanted to.

_The meadow around the corner, Crown Road. If you want to I’ll pick you up._

When he gave it back to Fernando he made sure that their fingers touched for a moment, and his heart pounded in his chest as the Spaniard smiled at him, lingering for a moment too long before he took a step back, let another fan step forward and looked down at the card. And while Dan signed the rest of the requests completely on instinct, out of the corner of his eye he never let Fernando out of his sight. And when the blond man looked up again it was with surprise clearly visible on his face and Dan held his breath – but then Fernando smiled again before he turned and started to walk down the road. And Dan took that as a yes.

***

“What!?” the footballer exclaimed scandalised, chocking on his beer in the process. “I do not! That’s absolutely, entirely and completely made up, I swear!” he protested at a laughing Fernando who was sitting at the other side of his table, looking like he was going to fall off his seat any moment.

“Your… your papers are hilarious…” the blond gasped, wiping tears of mirth from his eyes, face flushed with laughter as he tried to sit up straight again.

“Dancing with the stars, really? Do I look like I would even watch something like that? I hope you didn’t believe that for one second,” Daniel waved his forefinger in Fernando’s face, tying to look seriously pissed off. “Or I would have to leave you here and now and you wouldn’t want that, right?”

Fernando swatted his hand away, his face still lit up by a large grin and his dark eyes shining. “No I didn’t believe it, no need to worry. But there was some seriously funny discussion about it on the forum,” he added with a gleeful snicker.

Daniel grimaced and shook his head. “That seriously damages my rock hard defender reputation. I’ll need to clarify that.”

“Hmm,” Fernando hummed, took a sip of his cocktail and his grin softened to a smile. “Want to know what your reputation among the fans really is?”

When Fernando smiled he was really beautiful, Dan thought and let his eyes wander over the freckled face for a few seconds before he answered a bit distractedly, “I don’t know. Do I want to?”

Fernando stirred his cocktail with the straw for a moment before answering, all the while watching him. “It’s that on the pitch you’re a brilliant footballer who makes a difference, who is always ready to stand up for his team mates and have a good shouting at the opposition, shows absolute loyalty for the club while unfortunately being a little injury prone… and off the pitch it’s that you’re quiet, polite, private, a little shy and a very decent person.”

Some of that had known of course, but never before he had heard it from somebody who knew what the fans were really thinking and who he was sure wouldn’t lie to spare his feelings. It was a nice feeling and once again he knew he had made the right decision when he had joined Liverpool FC.

“And you? What do you think?” he asked Fernando with a smile. “Do I deserve that reputation?”

The Spaniard propped his head up on one hand and studied him, the noise of a full sports bar around them.

It was almost six o’clock in the evening by now, and about an hour ago they had finally been so hungry that they had found themselves in one of the two Sports Bars belonging to Jamie Carragher to have an early dinner.

After picking Fernando up next to the training grounds Daniel had driven them down into the city centre. From Liverpool One they had walked over to Albert Dock at the banks of the Mersey, had strolled around the old building with the museums and little shops and had sat in a café to drink a cup of coffee before visiting the Beatles Museum and then the Pier Head. And even though Dan had seen all of it before and they had of course attracted quite a few glances and had been interrupted by a few requests for autographs, he couldn’t quite remember when he had last had such a good day.

“Hm,” Fernando finally said, his eyes twinkling warmly. “Yeah. I think you do.”

It wasn’t like this wasn’t what Dan had secretly wanted to hear when he had asked Fernando the question but he had never been one to easily believe people complimenting him, and this one came from a man he was obviously attracted to what really didn’t make it any easier. “So you don’t think the club should sell me in the summer because I’m injured too often?” he jokingly asked instead.

“Shut _up_!” Fernando shot back with a roll of his eyes and underlined his point by kicking him in the shin under the table.

“Hey, that hurt,” Dan grimaced, feigning pain. “I didn’t know you were a violent person,” he teased Fernando only a second later though, and the Spaniard shrugged.

“We’ve known each other only for one day, right?” he answered with a smile before emptying his cocktail.

The motion drew Dan’s attention to a reddish mark at Fernando’s neck and it reminded every fibre of his body about how exactly it had ended up there. And suddenly Dan’s thoughts were stuck on slow-motion, replying the night he had spent with Fernando. Fuck, he hadn’t had such a strong reaction to a person for a long time and he felt a bit foolish for being so drawn to Fernando, because he knew he wasn’t only attracted to his physical attributes but also to the blond’s personality.

“So,” Fernando tore him out of his reverie, leaned back, crossed his arms in front of his chest and looked at him with his head tilted to the side. “It’s only six. Do you have any more ideas?”

Dan paused for a moment, thinking quickly before answering, “Well it’s too late for the museums already but we could maybe visit Sefton Park? Take a walk if you want to?”

“I’d like that,” Fernando answered immediately and Dan smiled in relief. He had hoped the other man would agree to spend a few more hours with him.

“Great,” he replied and waved down one of the waitresses, and it took them only a few short minutes to exit the bar together.

The sun was still shining outside, only a few small clouds floating up above as it had been all day. The heat had lessened a little and the beautiful weather had tempted a lot of people outside, and when Dan and Fernando entered Sefton Park through one of its gates they could already see quite some people there. Families walking around, children playing, pensioners sitting on benches, couples lying in the sun, groups of friends playing Frisbee or football.

They walked down one of the small paths, enjoying the peaceful and sunny evening while they talked some more about everything and nothing until they stopped at a bench opposite of a meadow where some teenagers played a pickup game of football, each ‘goal’ marked with two discarded jackets. The sounds of the football being kicked were echoing through the air, mixing with the light guitar music from the guy playing a few meters down the path. 

“The guy playing striker isn’t that bad. He just needs a bit more patience at the finish,” Dan pointed out after they watched them play for a few moments. He saw Fernando eyeing him from the corner of his eyes in amusement.

“I bet I’d have buried that,” the Spaniard remarked as the object of Dan’s comment failed to score again right in that moment.

“Really?” Dan asked with a chuckle as he watched Fernando watching the game. “Care to prove that to me?”

“Just because I’m not a footballer it doesn’t mean that I didn’t spend hours playing football in parks with my friends,” Fernando grinned back, his eyes twinkling with mischief. “So… if you dare me to…”

“I dare you to,” Dan threw back and enjoyed watching the emotions play on Fernando’s face who grinned widely at him.

Without saying anything else though he stood up from the bench and walked over to where the teenagers were playing, and Dan heard him shout, “Hey, do you have a second?” before the guys stopped playing, two of them joined the Spaniard and they lowered their voices to a normal level so they didn’t reach Dan’s ears anymore.

Then the two guys the Spaniard was talking to were looking at him in surprise before looking back at Fernando and breaking out into smiles and Dan mumbled, “What are you doing, Fernando,” as he waited for the man’s next move. And only a moment later Fernando came back over to him with a pretty satisfied look on his face.

“Well then, come on.”

“Come on where?” Daniel asked puzzled and when he looked back to the giddy expressions on the kids’ faces, he knew what Fernando wanted from him. “Oh no no, Fernando, don’t you think it might be a bit unfair if I play,” he asked but the blond only raised his eyebrows at him.

“What if they only let me play with them if I bring you along?”

Fuck, there were the beginnings of a pout on Fernando’s face, how was he supposed to say no to that?

“Okay, okay, but you’re the one to tell Kenny if I hurt myself.”

“You mean that’d make me meet King Kenny?” Fernando beamed playfully.

“Oh shut up you,” Dan shook his head and laughed before standing up and walking with him towards the boys. “Alright lads, try to go easy on me and my friend, okay?”

“Speak for yourself,” Fernando laughed and pushed Dan away among the good-natured, giddy laughter and remarks of the lads and started to jog over onto the makeshift pitch.

They picked up their game right where they had left off only with them as a player more in each team. And of course Dan was careful since he’d had no warm-up, but the way they played was more for fun than serious even though they managed some nice tricks obviously coming from hours and hours of playing together.

It was – once again and so maybe not all that surprisingly – Fernando though that surprised him most. He was nimble, his first touch was amazing, and he was able to burst into sprints that made the teenagers look twenty years older than they were. And even his own experience that helped Dan wrangle the ball away from his opponents more often than not didn’t make him immune to Fernando’s acceleration.

When they lay on the grass on their backs in the dwindling daylight two hours later, alone again since the teenagers had moved on after pictures and autographs and goodbyes, sweat shining on their foreheads, it was with three goals Fernando had managed to get over him.

After a while Dan slowly turned onto his side only to see Fernando already watching him, smiling. “Hey,” he murmured softly and let his eyes wander, chin, lips, nose, freckles, before they settled on Fernando’s eyes.

“Hey,” Fernando said back and then laughed. Obviously it hadn’t escaped him either that this exchange was starting to get common between them. “How are you? Everything okay? No muscle tweaking?”

“Everything feels fine,” Daniel answered lightly while he moved his hand down between the spaces of their bodies, taking Fernando’s fingers between his, the dusk of the incoming night, the increasing emptiness of the park and their own bodies hiding the gesture from other eyes. “I rather liked today. It was fun.”

Fernando didn’t answer immediately, his gaze flickering down to their carefully entwined fingers before coming back up to lock with Dan’s. And even though his eyes were insecure he didn’t pull away. “For me too.”

Suddenly swallowing was getting difficult and Dan could feel his heart beating a bit harder in his chest. What was happening here? 

“Do you like coffee? I have an awesome coffee machine at home.” _Oh great, Daniel, way to be obvious, you idiot!_ Dan thought the moment the words left his mouth. This wasn’t how he had intended to ask the Spaniard to spend another night with him.

With a pounding heart he watched how Fernando bit his lower lip and didn’t say anything for a moment. Then he asked, “Can your machine make café con leche?”

Dan couldn’t help but laugh at the ridiculous relief he felt and at Fernando’s playful reply. “You bet it can,” he answered, squeezing Fernando’s fingers tightly for a moment or two, and Fernando answered him with a smile.

“In that case I’m in.”

***

Daniel buried his nose in the soft blond hairs in the back of Fernando’s neck and breathed in, let his hand wander over the pale thigh the Spaniard had angled and thrust his hips again, and Fernando hummed softly under his breath. They were taking their time, and Dan just wanted to draw this out as long as possible, enjoy Fernando’s body pressed against his, the sounds he was making, his warmth, his scent.

Dan tightened his hand on Fernando’s hip when he heard a low moan escape the other man’s throat, the soft little gasp under his breath and he could only close his eyes, just trying not to lose himself in the other man because he wanted this to be perfect, wanted Fernando to enjoy it, desperately wanted to please him.

“Dan,” Fernando mumbled, grasped Dan’s hand and tried to tug him closer, uncoordinated, almost impatient. “Mmmhh…”

Now he could feel Fernando’s entire body flush against him, his naked skin burningly hot against his own, so close it was an almost overwhelmingly intense feeling. “Tell me, please… tell me what you want,” he said softly into Fernando’s ear and placed a light kiss behind it while continuing his steady, measured thrusts.

“More… more, please,” Fernando pleaded and tugged on his hand again almost as if to draw Dan completely over him.

With gentle hands Dan turned the blond completely onto his stomach and draped himself over him, chest against back, not even for a moment losing the intimate way their bodies were connected. He barely gave Fernando a moment to adjust to the change before he began to move his hips again, slipping his fingers between Fernando’s lying beside his head and together they clenched down into the rumbled sheets underneath them.

Like this they rocked together with comparably small motions, but it was intense and gripping and tingling from his fingers to his toes. Fernando underneath him was already trembling, he spread his legs a little wider, moaned and buried his face deeply in Dan’s pillow.

Daniel really couldn’t recall ever feeling the way he did in this moment when their bodies shifted and their movements steadily increased until the pressure inside him began to grow and his hips began to push faster. His heart was racing, the heat between them was smothering, and Daniel just barely remembered to angle is free hand under Fernando to help him reach his completion. This time Dan wanted them to come together, but he didn’t know how much longer he could last, and the needy sounds coming from Fernando’s throat didn’t help at all.

But then, as Dan tried to steel himself for just a little longer, the body beneath his own tensed and then jerked, and his pillow muffled a weak scream as Fernando’s hand, still entwined with his, clenched Dan’s fingers and the sheets so tightly it almost hurt. And he couldn’t help but follow Fernando with a ragged moan as he thrust into him one last time, feeling Fernando clenching around him, milking him before his body exhaustedly slumped down.

Their mixed breath was echoing loudly in the room as Daniel listened to his heartbeat slowing down to the point where he thought it almost felt like it matched Fernando’s own underneath him and his lips sought out the other’s neck, kissing it gently before he buried his face against Fernando’s pulse point.

The Spaniard let out a soft, sluggish but content sounding hum and turned his head just a little so that his cheek rested on the top of Dan’s head. Then he sighed.

“Shit. I think I ruined your sheets.”

Daniel’s chest rumbled lightly against Fernando’s skin as he laughed at his random statement. “That’s okay, I can live with it,” he answered while he rolled himself off the other man. “But I don’t think I can change them just yet.”

“No one’s asking you,” Fernando smiled at him from where he was still lying on his stomach, face half buried in the pillow. He sighed and adjusted his arm so that he could slide it underneath the pillow and bunch it up a little. “I’ll help you later.”

Dan smiled warmly at Fernando. “You don’t have to,” he replied before he moved to discard the used condom, knotting it and throwing it in the direction of the little trash bin next to the bathroom door. “I don’t let my guests work. Remember, I’m a gentleman,” he chuckled, sliding slowly back towards Fernando so he could capture his lips for a languorous kiss.

They let their lips and tongues caress for a few moments, eyes closed, before the touch wore off and they simply let their heads rest together. “Mmh, you really know how to make your lovers comfortable,” Fernando muttered.

Dan paused for a moment, his heart skipping a beat at Fernando’s implied assumption and he caught Fernando’s eyes with his. “You know, I don’t want you to think I do something like this all the time… because I don’t.” He didn’t know why exactly it was important for him that Fernando, barely more than a mere stranger, knew it wasn’t normal for him to pick up fans and take them home, but he felt better when it was off his chest.

The Spaniard was quiet for a few moments and just watched him, and it seemed a little like there was a conflict going on behind those dark eyes. And Dan knew he had been right when Fernando eventually asked softly, “Why didn’t anyone ever stick around?” As soon as the words were out though he bit his lip and lowered his eyes. “I’m sorry, you don’t have to answer that.”

Dan always tried not to think about the whys and hows of his life, it was better for his peace of mind if he didn’t and he wouldn’t start now, so he answered in the only possible way he could think of. “I don’t know,” he shrugged listlessly. “So… you still want that café con leche?”

“Okay. Yes, I do,” Fernando answered with a small smile, obviously sensing that maybe they weren’t really in a position for these questions. So he didn’t wait for Dan but rolled around, sat up and haphazardly cleaned himself before slipping into his underwear – black, very nice boxer briefs this time instead of boxers, as Dan had noted earlier.

He followed Fernando’s example and slipped back in his own boxers before proceeding to lead Fernando downstairs. “Come on, my coffee machine is God, you’ll love it,” he smiled and the Spaniard snorted in delight.

“You’re making some big promises here.”

When they reached the kitchen Dan gestured towards one of the barstools standing around the kitchen island. “Sit down and watch God work,” he said with a mischievous grin before he took two red cups from the cupboard and Fernando watched how Dan worked on the coffee machine with well practised movements.

“Are you trying to impress me?” the Spaniard asked, and even while not looking at him Dan could hear the grin in his voice.

“Now why would I want to try to impress some cute, half naked Spanish guy sitting in my kitchen?” he replied amusedly, once again wondering why he found it so easy to be around Fernando. It was just something he hadn’t known about himself.

“Here you go.” Dan carefully set one cup down in front of Fernando, smiling at him, before he fetched his own cup.

“Wow… thanks, I think,” his guest returned with the kind of smile that told that the answer had taken him by surprise. Fernando wrapped his hands around the hot cup and waited for Dan to sit down too.

“Sorry, I didn’t want to make you uncomfortable,” Dan replied when he saw Fernando’s expression.

“No, no, it’s okay,” the Spaniard quickly amended, and to Dan’s relief it was obvious that he really wasn’t uncomfortable. “You just surprised me. It was… a very nice thing to say,” he added, breaking out into a grin.

That smile was infectious and Dan had to bite his bottom lip to keep from grinning like a loony idiot when he sat down beside Fernando and watched him sipping his coffee. He looked delicious. Pale skin, freckles, tousled hair. “You’re really pale for a Spaniard.” And only the slightly stunned look from said Spaniard made him realise his thought actually had left his mouth. 

Right afterwards though Fernando had to laugh, pure amusement on his features as he looked over at Dan. “That was random.”

He was blushing, he felt it, and god this was embarrassing. But at the same time he couldn’t help but join Fernando’s laughter. “I’m sorry.”

“Don’t apologise,” the Spaniard grinned and gently nudged Dan’s shoulder with his own. “I know I’m not the most typical of my compatriots.”

“Definitively not,” Dan agreed. “So what are your plans for tomorrow? Will you watch training again?” he asked before taking a sip of his coffee. “I think Kenny will have us do little test games, should be interesting.”

“No, I won’t,” the blond answered and drank some coffee too and Dan’s heart plummeted right down to his feet. Then Fernando spoke on. “My Anfield Tour is tomorrow before noon, and as much fun as watching you was, I don’t think I should miss this,” he shrugged with a half smile. “Especially since it’ll be my only chance to actually see the stadium.”

And his heart snapped back to its rightful place. “Right, you didn’t get any tickets because we’re playing United.”

Fernando nodded. “No chance in hell as it seems. I didn’t really expect us to get any though, so no big surprise.”

“If you want, I could deposit one for you,” Dan said on an impulse and at the same time hoped he wouldn’t seem arrogant or snobby to Fernando, like someone throwing around with money and influential contacts.

But there was nothing of that on the Spaniard’s face as he looked at him, only stunned surprise. He didn’t even manage to say anything.

“Hey, don’t look so shocked. I work there and I’m allowed to have tickets if I want some,” Daniel laughed, patting Fernando’s knee lightly.

“Oh,” the blond just said, and then he looked down into his coffee cup with a small smile. “But I’m already flying back on Sunday.”

Dan wished his heart would stop making those stupid disappointed flips all the time. “Sunday already?”

“Yeah,” Fernando answered softly and looked at him, nudging Dan gently with his shoulder again. “I told you yesterday, remember?”

Dan only shrugged slightly, knowing he tended to forget small details like this one. “Can’t you reschedule your fight back? I mean it’s United after all.”

Fernando laughed a little at that and watched him, considering maybe. “Hm… not that I really have anywhere else I absolutely need to be on Monday…”

“Great. Then I’ll tell them to deposit one for you,” Dan answered, letting out the breath he had, unnoticed by himself, been holding, and just enjoyed seeing the way Fernando’s face was lit up by an undimmed smile.

“Wow… okay. Wow, I’m really going to see a match at Anfield. Can you pinch me?”

“Excuse me?” Dan asked amusedly, trying not to laugh at Fernando’s spaced out look but failed miserably when the blond just continued to look like he wanted to stifle that grin on his face. “Why would I want to damage your skin complexion with a black and blue mark?”

“I asked you to pinch me, not to maim me!” the Spaniard exclaimed indignantly and swatted him over the head.

“Hey, now you’re being violent again,” Dan chucked and before Fernando could say anything else leaned over and planted a soft kiss on his lips before pulling back slightly. “Hmmm, no, this felt very real to me.”

Fernando’s eyes were shining as he smiled at him from so close, bright and brilliant. “Thank you.”

“You’re welcome,” Dan answered, liking how happy the other man looked before pointing at Fernando’s coffee. “Your coffee is getting cold.”

The Spaniard looked back down at his cup and nodded. “It’s getting late too.”

Daniel nodded; time passed ridiculously fast when he spent it with Fernando. “I’ll drive you of course.”

“Okay. To be honest, I don’t think I’d even know how to get there on my own,” the Spaniard answered with a wry grin and finished his coffee.

“Don’t worry,” Dan smiled and took both empty cups and placed them in the dishwasher. “So I guess clothes would be good.”

For a moment Fernando just sat there and looked at him, and the amusement was so plain on his face that, when he didn’t say anything, Dan blinked. “What?”

“Nothing,” Fernando grinned, hopped off his bar stool and left the kitchen. “You’re right, clothes would be very good. Come on!”

They needed only a few minutes to get ready, and the atmosphere between them was much more relaxed than it had been the night before, not as awkward and uncertain. When they drove to the hotel they chatted about the upcoming match and when and where exactly Fernando would be able to get his ticket.

Soon Dan drove onto the parking space from Fernando’s hotel and turned off the car’s engine. “Here we are.”

“Right,” Fernando said and they both looked at the hotel through the front window for a few moments. “Well… I guess I should go then. Still have to book for one more day.”

“You don’t have to,” left Dan’s mouth before he could even think about it. “I mean… If you want to, you can spend the night at my house.”

“Really?”

Fernando looked at him with a mix of surprise and wonder, and Dan’s throat was suddenly tight so he only nodded. Then Fernando bit his lip and smiled, leaned forward and, as Dan had wished he would have already done the night before, kissed him, one hand carefully touching his cheek.

The kiss was soft and gentle but at the same time just so incredible hot it made his toes curl and sent delicious little shivers down his spine. Dan slowly moved his hand to the back of Fernando’s neck and just enjoyed the movement of their lips and tongues, his thumb lightly caressing the soft skin at the Spaniard’s nape.

Eventually Fernando drew back just a little, only to go right back and press his lips against Dan’s once more, just briefly before he grinned and mumbled, “Bye.”

And then he was gone, out of the door before Dan had gathered his wits enough to answer.

“Bye,” Dan whispered into the silence of his car, his lips still tingling slightly from the kiss, a welcome reminder for him that the last two days had indeed happened. And accompanied with the fact that tonight wasn’t the last time he would see Fernando only made his insides flutter with a happy thrill of anticipation. Humming lightly he started the engine of his car again, pulled out of the parking lot and onto the streets with the quietly fearful hope that, as strange as it sounded, when this weekend was over, his heart wouldn’t leave for Spain together with Fernando.


	3. Chapter 3

_The sparks, they fly - one look in your eyes, my heart's open wide._  
 _And I know time's running out now but we'll hold back the sun somehow._  
 _See the sky? We still got tonight._

* * *

To walk through the corridors and rooms of Anfield was a stranger experience than Fernando had ever imagined. And the main reason was because he had to think of Daniel all the time.

When they stood in the ridiculously small press conference room he saw Dan sitting there, flashlights and reporters. When they sat in the main stands inside the stadium all he could think about was the game against United the next day, that he was going to see him play. And when they walked through the dressing room he stood in front of that red shirt with the white 5 and let his fingertips wander over the name above it, lost in memories. And he wondered if it was just a shirt or if Dan had ever actually worn it – and right then he knew that he, as soon as this tour was over, was going to get himself such a shirt, if only to be able to touch it when he’d be back home, and to remember.

When Fernando left Anfield later with a bag from the fan shop in one hand and the whole day lay in front of him, he suddenly realised that he had to spend it alone. Because, when it came down to it, he didn’t even have Daniel’s phone number.

So when he later walked through the World Museum on his own and then through an alternatively themed shopping centre that Dan had told him about he wondered if he was simply being completely ridiculous and just a little delusional because there was this dull sensation in his chest that felt a lot like loneliness.

***

Dan reached up to wipe the sweat off his forehead with the back of his hand, unable not to smile when he watched the sea of red, the roar of the fans singing echoing through the whole stadium.

Wins over their arch rivals always were something special, and it brought wide smiles not only to fan’s faces. Now the whole team was trudging, exhausted but happy, over the field and applauded and thanked the fans for their support.

Pepe joined him at his side and they walked side by side for a while, just enjoying the fan’s delight and praise at having beaten Manchester at Anfield.

“That was pretty awesome, huh?” the Spaniard grinned widely, waving up at some fans on the Kop.

Dan chuckled before agreeing, “Yeah man, always good to beat them here.”

What made it even better for him was that he knew Fernando had been there to experience it, that his first game had been one they had won and that he himself had contributed to make it special for him. So when they neared the main stands again, his heart was beating in a rhythm that had nothing to do with the lingering adrenalin in his system, but all with the blond man he saw standing there between some fans.

Even though there was a lot of space between them he could see Fernando’s hair stand out between other heads, and he could clearly see the wide, beaming smile gracing his features. Their gazes met and Dan bit the inside of his lip as Fernando’s smile seemed to widen just a little more.

Daniel’s eyes didn’t leave Fernando’s until the wall of the tunnel blocked him from his view and he was still smiling when he stood under the shower in the changing room, hurrying as he couldn’t wait to be back in Melwood and meet up with Fernando again, one of the first sitting in the bus, impatiently drumming his fingers against his leg.

When they finally left the bus right in front of their training centre though and the players said goodbye to drive home on their own, Fernando wasn’t there. Dan hesitated, looked around, and of course there were a few fans waiting at the entrance, but not Fernando – and it wasn’t like he could have just picked him up there either, or like Fernando could have simply walked into Melwood. He had just completely forgotten that detail. So he entered his car and drove around the corner to that meadow where he had directed him to two days before, to find that no one was there either.

And it that moment Dan realised that he didn’t have Fernando’s phone number, so he had no chance of contacting the blond and ask him where he should pick him up. Why the hell hadn’t he thought about that yesterday?

After having circled Melwood twice, and with each round getting more and more irritated at himself, he decided to drive to Fernando’s hotel. He had to check out there today, so maybe the Spaniard had deposited his luggage there before going to the game and they had the same thought now. Dan didn’t exactly know if there was any other possibility.

When he stopped his car on the by now almost familiar parking space he hesitated for a moment, looking around. But he couldn’t see Fernando here either… maybe still inside then? Dan chewed on his lower lip, but then decided to just do it. It wasn’t like he had any other idea.

The lady at the desk didn’t react at first, but once she really looked at him over her computer monitor he saw her falter for a short moment before catching herself again and politely addressing him, “Can I help you, sir?”

He smiled at her, “Yes, I’m looking for a Fernando Torres.”

“A guest I suppose?” she asked but already typed away at her computer.

“Yes,” Dan answered, and before he could even add an explanation she turned back to him.

“He already checked out this morning,” she told him and then hesitated again. “But I think he was here again earlier to get his luggage…” And she trailed off, obviously uncertain if that was the kind of information he needed or wanted.

“He already left?” he repeated, trying not to show his disappointment.

“Yes, I’m sorry,” she answered, almost sounding a bit confused and he couldn’t even blame her for it.

“Yes, well never mind. Thank you,” Daniel answered with a small smile for her and left the hotel with a quick goodbye.

Rationally he knew it was very unlikely that Fernando was on his way back home, but his stomach was still in tight knots as he drove back to his house, the small ‘what if’ always present in his mind. In retrospect this should have set off all of his alarm bells ringing, _stop it now before it’s too late_. But right now all he wanted to do was to check if the Spaniard was maybe waiting in front of his house, the last possibility he could think of even though Fernando had said himself that he most likely wouldn’t find his way back. But if he wasn’t there, he’d just have to give up.

There was no one standing in front of his gate when Dan drove up to it, and he breathed out very slowly, trying to take his confusion and disappointment and even a little worry and put it in a drawer in his heart so that it wouldn’t be out in the open and prevent himself from functioning. But while he waited for his gate to open, he caught movement from the corner of his eye, and he instinctively looked to his left where a narrow road lead to the parking space of Calderstones Park opposite his house. And there at the edge of the bend of the road was Fernando, dusting off his jeans as if he had just stood up, a travel bag behind him.

It was ridiculous how unbelievable relieved Dan felt upon seeing the blond man moving in his direction, and he saw the smile that was lightening his face once he exited his car, instinctively and without turning it off.

“I didn’t know where to pick you up or if you would come at all,” he finally told Fernando when the Spaniard had reached him, stopping only two steps away, bag over his shoulder. The sun was still shining and caught in Fernando’s hair in a way that made him think of summer and Spain and of lazy days spent on the beach. Something small and irrational in Dan wished he could experience all that together with the man in front of him, and he quickly shook the thought off again.

“I know, I’m sorry, I completely forgot that we didn’t really have a way of contacting each other,” Fernando answered, smiling a little unsurely. “And I didn’t want to look like some stalker sitting in front of your gate. So… is that offer still standing…?”

“Yes, yes. Of course,” Dan answered, laughing. “Go ahead. I’ll just park the car.”

Dan saw Fernando nod and waited for him to pass through the gate with his bag before he got back into the car. Instead of driving into his garage though he just stopped it in the driveway, hastily got his own bag and locked the car before he joined Fernando at the entrance of his house, fumbling with the keys to let them both in.

He really couldn’t help himself. He tried to hold himself back, he really did, but as soon as the door had closed behind them he dropped his bag in one corner, turned around, cupped Fernando’s face with both hands and pressed a fervent kiss to his lips that held the tension and worry and nervousness that had made way for beautiful relief when he had seen Fernando standing outside. And only a moment later he let go again, looked into Fernando’s stunned face and let out his breath.

“Umm. Do you want something to drink?”

The Spaniard blinked at him, and then Dan could watch how his face was rapidly covered in a soft blush.

“Uh… I… yes… yes, please.”

He led Fernando into the kitchen, and watched him take the same chair as last time. Dan really liked the how the other man looked in his kitchen, like the picture had already branded itself into his mind and resembled something like familiarity. “I have Coke, water and juice, or do you want something hotter?” he asked the blond.

“Juice is fine,” Fernando smiled at him. “And congratulations for the game by the way. I don’t think I can thank you enough for making it possible for me to watch this, it was simply amazing.”

“I’m glad we could give you a victory for your first Anfield experience,” Dan answered and gave Fernando a glass with fresh orange juice, shivering a bit when their fingers brushed.

“Admit it, you did that just for me,” the Spaniard grinned at him, and the sight made Dan almost a little dizzy, so he quickly turned around again and busied himself with a glass of Coke for himself.

“Well, the three points were a pretty good bonus too,” he tried to joke, cleared his throat and immediately afterwards asked, “Are you hungry already? We could make ourselves some dinner.”

Maybe that would keep him from simply pouncing Fernando. Hopefully.

“But I have to warn you, I only really know how to cook pasta with tomato sauce,” Dan told Fernando sheepishly. Typical, he hadn’t thought it through when he had asked the Spaniard.

“That’s okay. I love pasta,” Fernando, though, simply smiled at him, so warmly that Dan couldn’t even think of being embarrassed.

So they started cooking together, boiling water, cutting onions, roasting hash, pouring pureed tomatoes into the pan, arguing playfully about whether to include red peppers or not, laughing when a particularly big bubble of the cooking sauce popped and sprinkled them both with tiny red dots. And just as Dan had prayed he forgot about everything but their food and the light-hearted company.

Dinner was an equally light-hearted affair, each joking with the other, talking about the different foods of their respective counties while they enjoyed each other’s presence. As they put the last of the washed dishes away, Dan asked Fernando if he wanted to play a game on the PlayStation and right away knew it had been a good idea when he saw an excited grin appear on his face.

They played FIFA 12, and Dan was vaguely amused, or maybe embarrassed, when Fernando insisted on playing as Daniel Agger, but just a little flattered as well. They played until each of them had won three games and decided to settle it with a last one to determine a winner, and the game was very even until Fernando decided out of the blue that it apparently was time for the dirty tricks. It started when the Spaniard, sprawled on the other end of the couch, his gaze fixed on the screen in concentration, sneaked his foot towards Dan just when he was running an attack and poked him into the side with his toes. Which in turn made Dan completely fuck up his player’s move and lose the ball to himself in digital pixels.

“Hey, that was playing dirty!” Dan protested, scandalized, and as he could only watch Fernando’s team score another goal.

“What did I do?” the blond Spaniard asked with wide, innocent eyes, but very obviously biting the inside of his lip at the same time to not break out into a grin. “Two more minutes to go. Come on!”

Dan smirked at Fernando, “That was playing dirty and you know it,” Dan told him and was determined to get the other man back, so he leaned over and started to poke at Fernando’s side, tickling him till he laughed and twitched and squirmed under his hands.

He let his fingers slip under Fernando’s shirt and let them walk over his soft skin there, gaining a few breathless whimpers. “Are you going to give up?” he added as he looked up and into Fernando’s brown eyes.

The blond took the brief respite and caught his breath, returning the gaze with the grin still lingering on his lips, while trying to look beseeching. “I’m only two minutes away from winning at football against Daniel Agger. Don’t take that from me.”

Dan couldn’t help but laugh. Fernando was just so adorable, and who was he to say no to such pretty eyes. “Fine, but don’t think I won’t put up a fight,” he answered and turned his attention back to the game.

The final two minutes turned into a battle of the best kind, exciting, on a knife edge, with outcries from both of them, but in the end Fernando managed to hang on to his lead and threw his arms up in the air in victory the second the match was over.

Seeing that reaction alone from the blond was enough for Dan to cope with his defeat and he was happy with just watching Fernando’s small victory dance, fleetingly hiding his smile behind his right hand. And then Fernando turned around towards him, jumped back onto the couch, beamed at him and said, “Thank you,” and then kissed him.

It was an unhurried, deep kiss that warmed Dan all the way down to his toes and he was sure no one had ever kissed him like Fernando did. No one had ever made him want to be someone else, someone who didn’t earn his money with football. The thought was painfully sweet.

When it finally stopped, Fernando sighed deeply in obvious satisfaction and Dan smiled gently at him, hands moving to cup his face. “You’re welcome.”

The Spaniard gently chewed on his lower lip and simply watched him, and Dan had no idea what he was thinking. Eventually though he spoke up softly, matching the quiet that had fallen over the room, “You know… that first night here when I sat in that bar, I was afraid that this whole trip would turn out to be a big mistake. That I’d never really enjoy it.” He tilted his head forward a little until his forehead touched Dan’s. “So thank you. Again.”

Dan’s right hand slipped under the sleeve of Fernando’s t-shirt and he let his fingers brush over the soft skin he found there. “I’m glad I met you in that bar,” he softly answered back and leaned back in for a kiss with lazy, licking tongues, pressing closer until Dan’s blood started to race in all places of his body despite the lacking urgency. But they had lain back on the couch and Fernando was now comfortably resting right on top of Dan, the angels and dips of their bodies moulding effortlessly against each other, and just the close proximity, the scent and smell was enough to arouse him in almost scary measures.

Eventually Fernando let the kiss wear off but didn’t move away, just looked at Dan again, lips red from the extensive kissing, eyes dark and unreadable.

“I have to leave around ten tomorrow.”

“I know,” Dan replied quietly, tightening his arms around him. “We’ve still got tonight. Let tomorrow be tomorrow.”

He felt Fernando nod against him and then there were soft, urgent kisses being pressed onto his face, neck, and back onto his lips again as if the Spaniard needed to reassure himself he was still right here. Dan’s nestled Fernando’s bottom lip between his own lips and sucked at it gently, the sensation drawing small moans from both of them as they slowly began to grind against each other. And that would probably have been enough, would have made Dan come if they had kept going like this, their hips meeting in those little nudges while they were still kissing each other breathless, but his own words were echoing in his mind, and since they only had a few more hours, he wanted more.

“Fernando,” he muttered right between two kisses, combing blond strands out of Fernando’s face while he kissed and nipped at his lips, and the blond moaned softly in reply.

“Mmmmh?”

“Would you…” Dan began breathlessly, and waited for a moment to make sure he had Fernando’s full attention even when they both still arched slightly into the movements of their bodies. “Would you… I mean if you want…would you… this time?” And he just hoped Fernando had understood what he meant because he wanted him to remember this night and the time they spent together the way he would remember it. As something special.

The moment he had said it Fernando had stopped moving, was now looking at him with unmasked surprise etched into his face.

“You mean… I didn’t think…” he started, stumbling over his words just a little, but then paused for a second to let the tip of his tongue flick out to wet his lips. “Yes. Okay. I mean, I want.”

Dan smiled softly at Fernando and played with the soft hairs on the back of his neck for a moment before he broke the silence again. “Let’s move this upstairs?”

Fernando smiled back at him and kissed him again fleetingly before getting to his feet and reaching for Dan’s hand. And this time it was Fernando leading the footballer through his own house up to the bedroom where they started again, kissing, caressing, undressing, taking all the time they needed and wanted.

When it came to it Dan’s heart was nevertheless hammering against his ribcage because it had been so, so long ago that he had last done this, trusted someone enough to make himself this vulnerable. But Fernando was patient and gentle and effortlessly eased his nerves with two, three well-placed, light-hearted comments, at the same time acknowledging that this was no banality and yet not making it a bigger deal than it was.

And Fernando took his time, slowly and carefully, so carefully, prepared him with slick and gentle fingers, that when he finally slid into him Dan thought he didn’t feel any pain, only fullness and the delicious feeling of being stretched, being taken as he yielded himself completely to the man on top of him. The almost forgotten sensation drew a low moan from his throat and he felt Fernando pause, waiting for him to adjust before he angled his hips and started slow, even thrusts.

To Dan it felt like it was over again in mere moments even though the rational part of his brain knew that it wasn’t so. But he enjoyed every second of it, and when he did he always lost every sense for time and space. Not that he really cared when he came, taking Fernando with him only moments later, lying together afterwards, suspended in the seemingly timeless state of afterglow.

Dan usually wasn’t someone who liked to cuddle, he liked his space and the freedom to move whenever he wanted, but the hand playing with his hair made it difficult for him to move from Fernando’s arms after they had shifted their positions. So he just stayed and enjoyed the soft up and down of Fernando’s chest under his ear and the hand in his hair.

“Can I ask you something?” Fernando eventually said, voice low and soft and warm, not stopping his fingertips from wandering thoughtlessly over Dan’s neck and shoulders.

“Mhmhm, of course,” Dan sleepily mumbled back.

“Did you ever think of getting a girlfriend or getting married just so that there’d never be any rumours?”

Dan wanted to say no, but he knew that would have been a lie because it had crossed his mind once or twice in the last few years. “I did, but that wouldn’t be fair to that person. I just don’t want to be that kind of man, you know?” he answered Fernando.

The Spaniard didn’t answer immediately and Dan still didn’t look at him, but it felt like the caress on his neck became just a little more affectionate for a moment.

“Do you think they’ll ever start to ask questions?”

“I don’t know,” Dan replied truthfully. He had asked himself that question more than once already and he really never came up with a satisfying answer. “I try not to care.”

“You do know,” Fernando eventually said, still gently combing his fingers through the tips of Dan’s hair, “that Liverpool fans would always be with you, right? Unconditionally.”

Dan smiled against Fernando’s naked skin, “Yeah, I’d like to believe that.”

“I think you can be pretty sure of that,” the blond answered, audibly smiling. “It’s only the other teams that have idiots among their fans, you know?”

Dan chuckled amusedly, glad and thankful that Fernando tried to keep the mood light. “We have the best fans in the world, no?” Somehow he felt envious of the faith Fernando had in people and maybe, just for tonight, it could be enough for both of them.

“That’s obvious, no?” the blond returned and was very audibly grinning now. “Just look at me.”

Dan briefly placed a kiss on the skin of Fernando’s chest. “Oh I looked at you, don’t worry.”

Even with the restricted view Dan had of the Spaniard’s pale skin, limited to his chest if he didn’t want to raise his head, he could see that Fernando was blushing faintly. When he obviously didn’t know what to say Dan smiled and let his hand wander over Fernando’s side, letting silence fall back over them for some time.

“I guess I never trusted anyone enough,” Dan eventually started seemingly out of the blue but in reality responding to the previously unanswered question, breaking the silence before he continued in a slow calm voice, “How can I be sure they really want me? Not the footballer, but me, just Dan.” He wasn’t sure why he was telling Fernando all this when before he had done everything to avoid thinking about it, but it just felt… right. “How can I let someone in, let them know the real me, when I can’t even be sure they’re not just waiting to rat me out to anyone who wants to listen, or if they are just in it for the money and a bit of fame?”

After that it was quiet for a long time up to the point that Dan wondered if he had just made a mistake. But just as he raised himself up onto his elbows to get some physical distance between them, trying to avoid looking at Fernando, the Spaniard’s hands touched his arms and asked rather than demanded to follow the motion. And without thinking Dan did until he was near enough for Fernando to gently cup his face in both hands, look at him and then to kiss him. It was just the innocent touch of two pairs of lips and it lasted only a few seconds before Fernando drew back and said, “I think you’re an amazing person.”

Some more moments passed and when Dan still didn’t know what he could possibly answer to something like that, he just lay down again and nestled his head back onto Fernando’s chest, listening to the soft rhythm under his ear while the he tried to ignore the fact that he would probably hear it for the last time. “Thank you,” he finally said, barely louder than a whisper.

As an answer Fernando only raised his hand and let his fingers wander over Dan’s hair, a calm, constant caress that only wore off when it had lulled them both to sleep.

A movement of the bed woke Dan up again later. Dazedly he blinked against the darkness in his bedroom and when his sleep-clouded brain cleared a bit, he saw it must have been Fernando who had startled him out of his sleep. The Spaniard now lay spread-eagled on his bed, his breathing an even in and out, too quiet for snoring but the sound echoing audibly in the silence of the room.

Dan rubbed his eyes and crawled out of bed, his tired mind not thinking of anything until he came back from a short trip to the bathroom, a little more awake already.

He stopped in his doorframe as his gaze fell onto the still sleeping figure of the man in his bed, a sight so unfamiliar that he had to take it in for a moment to realise it. And contrary to what Dan had feared, it didn’t fill him with uneasiness and doubt.

He took one, two more steps into the room, but then his gaze fell onto Fernando’s travel bag, lying open and in disorder in the faint moonlight falling in through the window. Dan squinted, crossed the distance as silently as he could and crouched down in front of it.

He hadn’t been mistaken. It was a Liverpool kit peeking out between other items of clothes. Blood red with a white five.

Dan sat there for a long moment, the tips of his fingers trailing slowly over the letters. Fernando sleeping peacefully behind him.

***

He was warm, too warm. Fernando frowned and tried to kick away the blanket that was tangled around his legs, but when his knee brushed another body he stilled and blinked.

Right. Dan.

Automatically a smile curled around his lips and he wriggled out from underneath the blanket, but then he rolled around and carefully slid his arm around the footballer’s waist. It was just a tentative kiss that he placed on Dan’s neck, but it made the other man stir and open his eyes. And it obviously took a moment until his brain caught up with his vision, but when it did he mumbled sleepily, “Fernando…”

“Hey,” the Spaniard answered softly, wondering for a moment if he should rather back off. But then he saw Dan blink a few times before his lips curled into a soft smile. “Hey,” the man replied and moved so he was perfectly angled against his body, accepting Fernando’s feet between his own. “I hope you had a good sleep?”

“Perfect,” Fernando nodded and settled against the other man, very content. A quick glance at the clock had told him that there were another five minutes until the alarm would go off. “You?”

“You snore, did you know that?” Dan answered amusedly.

“What?” Fernando blinked and felt an inevitable blush of mortification rise up over his neck.

Dan was smiling now and Fernando could feel the vibrations of his chuckles lightly against his skin. “No, I’m just messing with you,” the man teased and pressed a soft kiss to his cheek before his lips trailed the short path down to his own where they lingered for a few seconds before deepening the touch into a kiss.

Fernando indulged him for a second, but the moment Dan parted his lips slightly he drew back. “I’m… umm… I’m going to brush my teeth,” he said and reluctantly untangled himself from the other man.

Dan leaned back with a small disappointed sigh but then grinned amusedly before he moved to rest his head on his hand and looked at Fernando while he made his way to the bathroom. “You do that,” he laughed and Fernando blushed, clearly feeling the other man’s eyes wander down over his naked back and legs before he disappeared in the other room.

After having finished with his teeth Fernando took the liberty of hopping into the shower, climbing out again five minutes later, clean, awake and dropping. When he came back into the bedroom Dan was up and rummaging around in the closet.

“I hope you don’t mind that I…?”

“My shower is your shower,” Dan mumbled into the fabric of the black shirt he was pulling over his head before he turned back towards him, his eyes flickering down briefly before catching his eyes again. “I’ll be right back,” Dan said and disappeared into the bathroom as Fernando had before, and the Spaniard busied himself with drawing a few fitting pieces of clothing from his bag.

“Coffee?” Dan asked when he came back.

“Absolutely,” Fernando nodded and quickly finished slipping into his clothes. “Do you eat breakfast too or are you one of those coffee only people?”

“On most days it’s just a coffee to go for me. We get breakfast in Melwood,” Dan answered as they walked down the stairs. Fernando felt the light touch of Dan’s hand on the small of his back, tingling and warm, guiding him into the kitchen. “But sometimes, when the company is just special enough, I make an exception.” They stopped at the kitchen island and Dan’s hand on his back tightened a bit before quickly pulling him into a kiss.

It was mostly instinctual when Fernando steadied himself with his arm around Dan’s neck, but it was definitely of his own accord when he played along. For a moment they only paid attention to each other, and when they eventually broke their kiss Fernando smiled at Dan without drawing his arm away.

“English breakfast? Danish? I have no idea how that works though. Or continental?”

Dan chuckled, his breath, toothpaste-fresh, brushing his face and Fernando could see the skin around his eyes crinkle adorably. “The best thing about the Danish breakfast is that we have real bread. None of that sticky, white stuff you Spanish people seem to like.”

With that he gave Fernando another peck and untangled himself to walk over to the cupboards and start to take breakfast ingredients out of them. Fernando blinked. “What do you mean, real bread?”

Dan grinned and tried to hide it by sticking his head into the fridge.

“Dan!”

The other man only shook his head in amusement and put some things from the fridge onto the table before moving to crowd Fernando against it. “I guess you’ll have to visit Denmark to find out,” he teased, but instead of closing the distance between their lips he pulled back again. “You want some eggs?”

Fernando directed a mild glare at the footballer and poked him into the chest. “Yes. Give me the eggs and a pan and I’ll make them, I want something to do.”

The Dane was still grinning as he gave him the eggs and pointed to the cupboard beside the stove. “Pans are down there,” he said, but before Fernando could turn to get one he stole a quick kiss from his lips. “Don’t burn yourself.”

“I know how to use a pan, thank you very much,” the Spaniard rolled his eyes but grinned before taking off with the eggs to go about his task. Dan turned on a small radio standing in one corner and Fernando hummed along to a song while the footballer prepared the rest of the breakfast. When he had turned off the stove he walked over to Dan, slid his arms over his shoulders from behind and laid his chin on his left shoulder to have a look at the table.

“Done?”

Dan hummed affirmatively, leaning slightly into his touch and from this position Fernando could feel once again what years of training as a footballer had done to Dan’s body, and it could be really distracting. “All ready.”

Fernando placed a brief kiss on his neck, then went to get the eggs. While they ate they discussed different traditional breakfasts, English food compared to that from the continent, and then jumped to current mainstream music because of something that had been said on the radio. They talked like they knew each other for longer as those past three days and even when there was a short silence it didn’t get awkward between them as they were just enjoying the time they still had together. And it was only the sound of the news echoing from the speakers of the radio when they were just cleaning the table that reminded Fernando of the time and his face fell a little.

He sighed and leaned against the counter. “I have to leave some time in the next half hour I think.”

“Shit, is it that late already?” The other man looked to the clock on the stove, and Fernando thought he could see some disappointment on his previously relaxed features. “I’ll drive you.”

“Oh, no, that’s fine, I’ll just hop on the bus,” the Spaniard shook his head. “Or don’t you have training today? Because there was a match yesterday?”

“We play golf on Mondays, but we’re not allowed to miss it,” Daniel replied and took Fernando’s hand that was resting on the counter in his own, “I had a great weekend,” he continued. The smile on his face looked dimmed, but Fernando knew Dan wasn’t lying. Maybe he just wasn’t ready for their time together to be over.

“Me too,” Fernando answered, gently squeezing Dan’s hand, entirely honest. “I think I had the best weekend in a very, very long time.”

“I’m glad I could be a part of it then.” Dan’s smile seemed to turn a bit brighter now and he softly began to stroke his fingers with his thumb in a calm, tender gesture. “Do you want me to call a taxi for you?”

Fernando’s own smile widened as well. There was his gentleman again. “No, really, I’m fine. But thank you, I don’t want you to think I don’t appreciate all this.”

Dan shook his head. “Okay then,” he smiled and pulled Fernando closer, but he didn’t go for a kiss like Fernando had thought he would, instead he softly touched his lips to Fernando’s temple and wound his arms around him, just holding him close for a few moments in the middle of his kitchen.

The unexpected embrace literally weakened Fernando’s knees and he slid his arms around Dan’s waist to fight the feeling. Up until this point he really had been good at pushing the thought away that this was goodbye, that Dan would stay in this country while Fernando flew back home, but it hit him right then, and he bit his lip with almost painful force and nestled his face into the crook of the footballer’s neck.

“I’ll miss you,” was whispered against his neck and Daniel moved to put his hands on each side of his face, lifting it up so he could look at him, “I’ll miss you,” he said again softly and then kissed him with an emotion that Fernando couldn’t really place. Comfort, affection, regret? But whatever it was, it made it hard to swallow, so Fernando returned the kiss for a moment but then gently detached himself from Dan.

“I… I’ll get my things,” he said and slipped past him, not waiting to see the look on Dan’s face. Instead he practically ran up the stairs into the bedroom and hastily threw the few contents of his bag that weren’t already packed inside, all the while trying to just not let this get to him. He was just going home, for God’s sake, as he had always known he would.

And yet when he was done Fernando had to pause for a moment, squeeze his eyes shut and dig the heels of his hands into them.

When he eventually walked back down, bag over his shoulder, he had managed to pull himself together again fairly reasonably.

Dan was waiting for him at the bottom of the stairs, his short hair looking like he had run his hand through it multiple times from when he had left him in the kitchen, but Dan’s eyes caught his own as he walked down the stairs towards him. “You’ve got everything you need?”

“Yes, I think so,” Fernando nodded. When he came to stand in front of Dan he stopped and let his bag slide back down to the floor. He was still a little breathless, and when Dan simply looked at him all his composure seemed to slip through his fingers to the point where he simply gave up and kissed him again.

They kissed gently for awhile and Fernando had to think about all the things they had experienced together, the time they had spent together in the last few days and how he couldn’t bring himself to pull back from Dan, just wanting to savour their last few moments. Just a little bit longer, and Dan didn’t deny him, only pulled him closer and tighter into the kiss. Their lips parted a few times but ever only for just a second before they went back for more until it became almost ridiculous. Fernando brought his hands up to cup Dan’s face and muttered in between their kisses, “I’ll miss you too… good luck with the season… don’t get injured… don’t fuck it up… I’ll be watching.”

After one last longer touch Dan finally pulled back from Fernando’s lips, and they just stood there for a few moments comfortably in each other’s arms before Dan took a step back. “I hope we can win the league for you,” he smiled. “I guess you have to go now?”

“I should,” Fernando nodded and he hoisted his bag over his shoulder again, heart heavy. He took a deep breath and walked over to the door, then looked at Dan again and laughed a little helplessly. “Take care, okay?”

Dan nodded and fumbled with his shirt like didn’t know what to do with his hands. “You too. You know where the bus stop is?”

“Yes, that’s how I got here yesterday.” Fernando bit his lip, looked at the door, and then took two steps back again. His hand curled gently in Dan’s shirt and he kissed him only briefly, just to touch his lips again, before he said, “Goodbye, Dan.”

Then he turned and opened the door without allowing himself to look back again, not at Dan, not at the door, or at the gate, or at the house.

When he left the city of Liverpool, it was with a heavier heart than he had imagined, and not for any of the reasons he had ever thought possible.

***

It took only a few hours and Fernando was back in Spain. Back in the familiar heat of Madrid, his mother tongue back in his ears, his apartment just as he had left it. He threw his bag to the ground and himself onto his bed, the afternoon sun falling in sparsely through the lowered shades. He dosed off only about five minutes later.

When Fernando woke up again he wondered for just a brief moment if the whole weekend had even been real. Being back here made it seem like an incredible dream, but his bag was still lying where he had let it fall and when he drew up his shirt there was still a fading love bite there near his left nipple.

Fernando sighed, let his shirt fall back down, made himself some coffee and turned on his laptop.

He went through the same routine as always, check e-mails, check facebook, open RAWK. There were the predictable overjoyed reactions about the win against Manchester United on Sunday, but other than that it didn’t look like much had happened in the world of football over the weekend. The picture thread was of course active, which was nothing extraordinary after a match day. But it wasn’t a picture of the game that appeared at the top of the page, no, it was the lively, in colour evidence that meeting Dan hadn’t been a product of his overactive imagination. It was an amateur shot of the two of them playing football in Sefton Park with the kids.

Fernando’s breath caught in his throat.

He quickly scanned the text that accompanied the several photos, his heart pounding in his chest even though he reminded himself that he shouldn’t be surprised. There had been more than a handful of people that day walking by, watching, cheering, taking pictures. And it seemed that the whole thing had brought Dan up in the estimation of Rawkites even more if the many positive comments were anything to go by. Of course no one had recognised or even paid a lot of attention to Fernando, but that was fine, that was great. And it all made him laugh giddily, happily, disbelievingly, and he saved every single picture.

After he had brought his empty cup to the kitchen and walked back into the bedroom his gaze fell onto his travel bag still lying where he had left it. He really should sort the dirty stuff from the remaining clean clothes before everything would start to smell, he thought, his mother’s teachings echoing somewhere in the back of his head. The first few shirts landed in a pile on the floor, waiting for the loudly basket, before a flash of red cloth made him pause and falter in his task.

A soft smile spread on Fernando’s face as he took the red kit out, let his fingers travel over the cloth and then turned it over to unfold it. What he saw made him stop in surprise.

There right below the white 5 on the cloth were words written with a slender black permanent marker, and when Fernando read them they sent him back straight into that pub in Mathew Street with the low lights and pulsing warmth.

_‘There are faces I’ll remember all my life.’_

And Fernando laughed even though he felt like crying, right until the moment he saw the small crumbled snippet of paper that had fallen out when he had unfolded the kit.

On it were a mobile and a landline number accompanied by another set of words.

_‘Wanna take a chance?’_


End file.
